Will Rob Gronkowski Ever Play Again? ‘Absolutely Not,’ One Ex-NFL Player Says

Rob Gronkowski closed the book on the possibility of playing in the 2019 NFL season, but he’s leaving it open beyond the current campaign.

Gronkowski’s “big announcement” Tuesday, much to the dismay of Patriots fans, was not to inform the masses about a return to the football field. It was merely promotion for his Super Bowl LIV beach party, which effectively confirmed he won’t be catching passes from Tom Brady this season.

While Gronk currently isn’t saying “never” about possibly coming out of retirement, six-time Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday feels confident in saying we’ll never see the future Hall of Fame tight end play in the league again.

“No. Absolutely not,” Saturday said Wednesday on ESPN’s “Get Up!” “Listen, look at what he’s doing. Hosting Super Bowl parties. He is probably the best tight end to ever lace it up. This guy is an absolute phenom, but his body was broken down. I mean, this guy took shot after shot, broken forearms, the intense pressure of a football season, the whole thing on his body. What’s he got left to prove? The guy has proven everything he needed to prove. There’s no reason (to come back).”

Aside from Saturday’s points about Gronkowski’s health and legacy, the 31-year-old’s post-football opportunities really are limitless. We’ve already seen Gronk partner up with CBDMEDIC, lock down a television gig with FOX and even make a guest appearance as a Laker Girl. Strictly from a financial standpoint, Gronkowski by no means has to play until the wheels fall off as many athletes do.

All things considered, the cons seem to outweigh the pros as they pertain to Gronk strapping the pads back on. Stranger things have happened, but Patriots fans might want to rid themselves of any expectation for Gronk returning to the field.